Parachute canopy



April 24,1945. J. H. STRONG 2,374,627

PARACHUTE CANOPY Original Filed July 28, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet l 1 I?! c/i'izee 15 63 7 02? April 24, 1945. J. H. STRONG 2,374,627

PARACHUTE CANOPY Original Filed July 28, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Apfil 24, 1945. STRONG I 2,374,627

PARACHUTE CANOPY 1 Original Filed Jul 28, 1959 s Sheets-Sheet a Patented Apr. 24, 1945 PARAono'rE CANOPY James H. Strong, Hightstown, N. J.

Original application July 28, 1939, Serial No. 287,153. Divided and this application June 16, p 1941, Serial No. 398,344

13 Claims. (01. 244-142) This invention relates to parachute canopies for amusement and training devices such as shown in my Patent No. 2,183,594, dated December 19,1939, and is a division of my application Serial No. 287,153, filed July 28, 1939. The invendisclosed in said patent and application however. The object of the invention is to promote safety in the use of parachutes in gusty and high winds and under unusual conditions, such as for drop-- ping troops and articles from airplanes travelling at high speed.

The invention comprises a parachute canopy having a series of openings spaced circumferentially between itspeak and skirt and covered by Valves secured to the underside of the canopy so as to permit air to pass through the openings from above but not'from below.

The invention further comprises means asso ciated with the skirt fOr spreading the canopy while it is secured to the peak supporting means in apparatus such as shown in my patent and application aforesaid.

The invention also comprises the novel details of construction of the parachute canopy hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, which show a of the invention, 1

Figs. 1 and 2 are side views taken at right angles to each other of a parachute tower and parachute equipped with a swing for carrying passengers, the parachute in Fig. 1 being shown in the course of an, ascent and .the parachute in Fig. 2 being shown in the course of a descent.

Figs. 3 and 4 are a top plan view of a parachute canopy and a bottom plan view of the same, showing the connections between the canopy and other parts of the apparatus, drawn to a larger preferred form scale than Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5 in Fig.

. 3, drawn to a still larger scale; and i Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the swing in lowered carrying passengers, supported from a suitable tower l3, although only one parachute and operatin equipment therefor is shown. The tower is built with arms l4, which projectfar enough 1 tion is not restricted to use with the apparatus to enable the parachute and their guiding and operating means to clear the base of. the tower, and which support the upper pulleys ii of the hoisting apparatus and the upper ends of the guide cables It. The hoisting cables ll run over the pulleys IBand down inside the tower to the winding drums 18 of suitable electric hoists pro- 'vided with brakes and control means'which are mounted on an operating platform l9 withinthe base of the tower.

position and the control means for manipulating the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2..

The drawings illustrate amusement or train ng apparatus wherein theparachute is guided both in its ascent and descent by cables, but the inven tion i applicable to parachutes intended to be dropped freely without any guide means, as in my Patent No. 2,183,594, or from a balloon or moving airplane.

The apparatus illustrated in the drawings comprises a plurality of parachutes I0, each complete with, its hoisting motor II, and a swing l2 for In the form of apparatus illustrated, there are tour guide cables It for each parachute It, the upper ends of which pass over drums 20 on the supporting arm I4 and may be operated to raise and lower the guidecables' in'case or need. The

lower, ends of the guide cables are secured to inundation blocks 2| suitably spaced around the base of the tower, and these cables are provided with turnbuckles or other mean for tensioning them and keeping them taut so as to prevent undue sidewise movement of the parachute in its 1 ascent and descent. For each parachute there are four cushioning posts 22, mounted alongside the guide cables for catching the parachute at the lower endof its drop. These posts are preferably made of steel tubes or other material having some j lateral flexibility, and are tallenough to aiiord adequate space for bringing the parachute and swing to rest without excessive shock on any part of the apparatus.

The hoisting drums l8 are of standard design and are provided with automaticguides for laying the cables I! on them as they are wound up and unwound and the usual safety devices. They are driven through suitable reduction gears by electric motorsequipped with push-button'conltrolled starting rheostats. Automaticbrakes also operated by push-button control means are provided for thehoisting drums; The system fc omprises a control panel for the motors and another control panel 29, at each groundstation, with the necessary electric circuits and power lines, all of this electrical equipment being of approved design,

and these parts of the system require no detailed I description.

'Each hoisting cable isprovided at its free end with ahead 30 for attaching it to the corresponding parachute and which is guided centrally between the guide cables by means of sliding fittings 3| to which it is connected by steel wires or cables s2 fitted with short" sections of rubber cord. as to.

gether with a safety device connected to brakes on the sliding fittings 3i for arresting its descent should the hoisting cable break or give way.

Each parachute comprises a canopy 5? which is removably secured to a steel spreader ring around its (perimeter by means of straps 58 or other suitable fastenings, and this ring is at tached by snap hooks 59 at four points to guide blocks Bl lidably mounted on the guide cables it. The canopy is provided at its peak with a ring 62 carrying a spider 63 having a central lifting post 31 projecting up sufficiently for the jaws of the hoisting head to engage under its shouldef'edupper end, and'istapered to enter the guidecone 5'3 with which the hoisting head is provided. v j

The peak of' the canopy is strengthened by fabric reinforcement 64' surrounding and attached. to the ring .62, and by radially extending strips 65 of webbing or other strong material following the lines of and covering the shrouds 66 on the exterior of the canopy. In lieu of shroud lines running along the two principal diameters of'thecanopy at the ends of which the guide fittingst'l', are attached, webbing strips M, 68 connect the peak ring with the spreader ring, the

strips 61 being secured on the inside of the canopy from peak to skirt and bifurcated at the lower ends Where they engage the ring. The four outside stays 58' which lead to the guides 6! are left unattachedto the skirt for a' distance inwards near their outer ends, and fiat rubber cords 69 are connected across the intervening space, their ends being securely fastened to thestays. Arms lllprovi'ded' with snap hooksproject'inwards from theg'uide blocks 61' above the connections for the ring 60 and are adapted to receive and hold the rings upon the ends of thestrays 68 when the parachute is rigged. The rubber cords 69 are enough shorter than theadjacent portions of the stays 66' to take up the slack in the stays when the canopy is not fully inflated by its descent through the air, and serve to maintain the peak portion substantially flat and concentric with the principal axis of the hoisting. cable about which the" four guide cables are symmetrically disposed. The lower arms H on the guide blocks support the stiffening or spreader ring in concentric relationto the other parts of the apparatus when the parachute is not inflated.

The parachute canopy is provided with one or more series of circumferentially disposed narrow openings 72 constituting automatic valves positi oned'in the middle area and near the perimeter of the skirt, andwhich are normally closed in the fully open position of the canopy by fabric covers E3 or pockets attached to its under side. These'pockets are of greater length than the openings which they cover and are attached a. all

largely preventing bellying inwards and violent flapping of the canopy during the time when it is not freely dropping.

A supporting harness or catcher 14 made of strips of suitable material stitched together in the form of cross stays and diagonal stays is secured to the guide fittings (ii in the space beneath the canopy to prevent the canopy from sagging when not inflated. Short stripsof webbing it, connected to the cross stays andthe ends of which are provided with rings which engage in snap hooks on the inner sidesof the guide fittings, hold the harness taut at all times. t

The swing and passengers are suspended from the parachute directly by the shrouds 66, and also from the guide cables I8 and spreader ring 60 by the short cables I i 9 which are connected at their upper ends to the guide blocks 6|. As each canopy skirt spreader ring 60 is strapped to the guide blocks so as to be held in place between the arms it] and it which project inwardly far enough to engage above and-below the spreader ring, the failure of one or two fittings or cables will not permit the swing to break away from the parachute, which is attached to the spreader ring by straps at the end of each gore seam and to the guide fitting by the stays 6'8, even; should the ring itself break.

For elevating the swing when the is deflated, a separate bridle W3. is. provided, the upper end of which is attached to thecenter post 3'i in the peak of the parachute, andv the lower ends of which are attached to the swing suspension means. This bridle is made. just long enough to carry the weight of the swingwhen the parachute is extended vertically by the hoisting means Without putting any strain onv the suspension cables or shrouds, so that when the parachute is inflatedthe bridle will be slack.

When all is ready for an ascent, the hoisting motor is started by pressing the starter button on the control panel and the parachute and swing are elevated until the hoisting head engages the tripping member G2 on the arm overhead,v which releases. the parachute. Limit stops on the hoisting drum stop the motor automatically at this point. As the parachute descends, the hoisting motor is reversed by the attendantv pressing the down button on the control panel, thereby lowering the hoisting head by its cable. until. it engages and picks up the parachute peak fitting at the level of the tops of the posts. 22.;

When the parachute startsto drop, the valve openings 12 are immediately closed by the pockets l3 and it inflates fully in about twenty feet of free drop and thereafter controls the speedof descent to between twenty-five and thirty feet per second, depending upon the load and air con The parachute canopy may advantageously be applied to a free parachute as illustrated. in my Patent No. 2,183,594, for which purpose it is well suited because of the valve openings 12; which prevent the canopy from being caught by up-.

draftsor eddies due to variable wind conditions and caused to foul the spreader ring or releasing hooks.

Also it is found that free parachutes packed for dropping from airplanes are quicker to open and more dependable when provided with valved canopies according to my invention, and such parachute templated that changes in the arrangement and details of construction will be necessary to suit manufacturing conditions and locations, and

variations in the manner and kind of used the several novel features. Where the Word swing is used in the claims, I mean to include any equivalent device forcarrying a suspended load; and by the word resilient I mean to include elastic" substances generally, which when deformed, tend'to return to their original shape or dimensions.

I claimthefollowing as my invention:

1. A parachute'canopy, for tower-hung practice parachutes having a series of radially extending fabric gores connected by seams, shrouds freely disposed in some of said seams, and flexible fabric strips sewed into intervening seams to reinforce them, in combination with a spreader ring encircling the skirt of said canopy and removably connected thereto at the ends of said shrouds, said flexible fabric strips being bifurcated at their outer ends and removably connected thereby to said ring.

2. A parachute canopy, for tower-hung practice parachutes having a series of radially extending fabric gores connected by seams, a ring encircling the peak of said, canopy and having secured thereto flexible fabric strips which are sewed into some of said seams, said strips having extensible portions at their outer ends in combination with a spreader ring encircling the skirt of said canopy to which the canop is detachably connected, and guide members detachably connected to the extensible ends of said fabric strips.

3. A parachute canopy having a series of radially extending fabric gores connected by seams,

and reinforcing strips sewed into some of said seams, in combination with a spreader ring encircling the skirtof said canopy and guide means connected thereto opposite said reinforced seams,

detachable connections for attaching said ring and canopy and for attaching said guide means and reinforcing strips, said reinforced seams being provided with extensible connectors for taking up slack in the canopy between said peak and said guide means.

l. A parachute canopy having a series of radially extending fabric gores connected by seams, shrouds freely disposed in some of said seams, and flexible fabric strips sewed into intervening seams to reinforce them, in combination with a spreader ring encircling the skirt of said canopy and removably connected thereto at the ends of said shrouds, said flexible fabric strips being bifurcated at their outer ends and removably connected thereby to said ring, and said reinforced seams being provided with extensible connectors 6. A captive parachute for raising and lowering, comprising a fabric canopy, means for maintaining the skirt of the canopy spread open,

means at the peakof the canopy for securing a lifting cable, said canopy having a series of spaced openings of substantiallength and width extending through it between its peak and skirt, andfabric covers for each of said openings, each individually secured to the canopy fabric on its under side on opposite sides of an opening to constitute a valve operable to open to relieve pressure from outside the canopy when "the canopy is raised. I

7. A captive parachute for raising and lowering, comprising a fabric canopy, means for maintaining the skirt of the canopy spread open, means at the peak of the canopy for securing a lifting cable, said canopy having two concentric series of spaced, openings of substantial length and width extending through it between its peak and skirt, and fabric covers for each of said openings, each individually secured to the canopy fabric on its under side on opposite sides of an opening to constitute a valve operable to open to relieve pressure from outside the canopy when the canopy is raised.

8. A captive parachute for raising and lowering, comprising a fabric canopy, means for maintaining the skirt of the canopy spread open, means at the peak of the canopy for securing a lifting cable, said canopy having a series of spaced openings of substantial length and width extending through it between its peak and skirt, and pocket members covering each of said openings,

each individually secured tothe canopy fabric on its under side on three sides of an opening to constitute a valve operable to open to relieve pressure from outside the canopy when the canopy is raised.

9. A captive parachute canopy for raising and lowering, having a series of openings of substantial length and width spaced circumferentially between its peak-and skirt, a valve cover on the under side of each opening, each cover individually secured to thecanopy along its sides and lower edge, flexible strengthening members extending from peak to skirt between said openings and secured to said canopy to conform to its shape when inflated, a spreader ring encircling the skirt of the canopy, and straps detachably connecting the ends of said strengthening members to said ring.

10. A parachute canopy for captive practice parachute to be raised and lowered having a series of openings of substantial length and width spaced oircumferentially between its peak and skirt, a valve cover on the under side of each opening, each cover individually secured to the canopy along its sides and lower edge, strengthening members extending from peak to skirt between said openings and secured to said canopy to conform to its shape when inflated, a spreader ring encircling the skirt of the canopy, and straps detachably connecting the ends of said'strengthening members to said ring.

by air pressures from outside the canopy and to prevent escape of air from the interior of the canopy.

I 12. In a parachute canopy for captive practice parachutes to be raised and lowered having fabric sections connected by radial seams, openings of substantial length and width in some of the sections between the seams, a fabric cover for each of said openings individually secured on the under side of the canopy at opposite margins to position them across said said openings, respectively, at least one marginal edge of each such cover being free to permit passage of air through and under said canopy from the outside, whereby said covers and openings constitute valves for relieving pressure upon said canopy when bein raised. 1 3;. A fabric parachute canopy having. a plurality of apertures equally spaced from the edge of the canopy, such apertures being of predeten:

mined area, and valve means for the apertures for admitting'air into the canopy when the pressure outside the canopy exceeds the inside pressure, said valve means including an additional fabric strip for each apertures of greater area than the area of the aperture and secured to the canopy crosswise of the aperture it covers along opposite side edges of the fabric strip,v said fabric strip being actuated to close the aperture by pressing therearound when the pressureinside the canopy exceeds the external pressure and to open the aperture to admit air into the canopy when the external pressure is greater.

JAMES H. STRONG. 

